The entire congregation: The complete congregation, for the ones destined to die in the desert had already died and these were assigned for life. — [Midrash Tanchuma Chukath 14]

כל העדה: עדה השלמה, שכבר מתו מתי מדבר ואלו פרשו לחיים:

Miriam died there: Why is the passage relating Miriam’s death juxtaposed with the passage of the Red Cow? To teach you that just as sacrifices bring atonement, so the death of the righteous secure atonement. — [M.K. 28a].

Miriam died there: She too died through a kiss [from God’s mouth rather than by the angel of death]. Why does it not say “by God’s mouth” [as it does with Moses]? Because it is not respectful to speak of the Most High in this way (M.K. 28a). Concerning Aaron it does say “by God’s mouth” in [the portion beginning] “These are the Journeys” (33:38).

with the death of our brothers: With the death of our brothers from plague. This teaches us that death from thirst is more dreadful than it [death by plague].

בגוע אחינו: במיתת אחינו בדבר, למד שמיתת צמא מגונה ממנה:

with the death: Heb. בִּגְוַע אַחֵינוּ. This is a noun, like בְּמִיתַת אַחֵינוּ, with our brothers’ death [that is, in the way they died]. But it is incorrect to explain it as meaning, ‘ when our brothers died’ for in that case, Scripture would have punctuated it בִּגְוֹעַ.

8"Take the staff and assemble the congregation, you and your brother Aaron, and speak to the rock in their presence so that it will give forth its water. You shall bring forth water for them from the rock and give the congregation and their livestock to drink."

assembled: This is one of the places where we find that a small area held a large number [of people]. — [Midrash Tanchuma Chukath 9, Lev. Rabbah 10:9, Num. Rabbah 19:9]

ויקהלו וגו': זה אחד מן המקומות שהחזיק מועט את המרובה:

Shall we draw water… from this rock?: Since they did not recognize it, for the rock had gone and settled among the other rocks when the well departed. The Israelites said to them,“What difference is it to you from which rock you draw water for us?” Therefore, he said to them, הַמּוֹרִים, obstinate ones; in Greek, ‘fools,’ those who teach (מוֹרִים) their teachers. [He said,] “Can we draw water from this rock regarding which we were not commanded?” - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukath 9, Num. Rabbah 19:9]

twice: Because the first time he drew out only a few drops, since God had not commanded him to strike it, but, “you shall speak to the rock.” However, they spoke to a different rock, and nothing came out. They said, “Perhaps we ought to strike it first,” as it says, “and strike the rock” (Exod. 17:6). They came upon that very rock and struck it. — [Midrash Tanchuma Chukath 9, Num. Rabbah 19:9]

12The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Since you did not have faith in Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly to the Land which I have given them.

Since you did not have faith in Me: Scripture reveals that if it were not for this sin alone, they would have entered the Land, so that it should not be said of them, “The sin of Moses and Aaron was like the sin of the generation of the desert against whom it was decreed that they should not enter [the Land].” But was not [the question asked by Moses] “If sheep and cattle were slaughtered for them…” (11:22) [a] more grievous [sin] than this? However, there he [Moses] said it in private, so Scripture spares him [and refrains from punishing him]. Here, on the other hand, it was said in the presence of all Israel, so Scripture does not spare him because of the sanctification of the Name. — [Tanchuma Chukath 10, Num. Rabbah 19:10]

to sanctify Me: For had you spoken to the rock and it had given forth [water], I would have been sanctified in the eyes of the congregation. They would have said,"If this rock, which neither speaks nor hears, and does not require sustenance, fulfills the word of the Omnipresent, how much more should we! - [Midrash Aggadah]

therefore, you shall not bring: Heb. לָכֵן, by an oath, as in,“Therefore (וְלָכֵן) , I have sworn to the house of Eli” (I Sam. 3:14) [Tanchuma Va’era 2]. He hurried to take an oath so that they should not engage in lengthy prayer concerning it [i.e. to repeal the decree].

These are the waters of dispute: These are the ones mentioned elsewhere. Pharaoh’s astrologers saw these [when they foresaw that] the savior of Israel would be smitten through water, and that is why they decreed: "Every son who is born you shall cast into the Nile. — [Sanh. 101b]

and He was sanctified through them: For Moses and Aaron died because of them. When God judges His holy ones, He is feared and sanctified by mankind. Similarly, it says, “You are awesome, O God, because of Your holy ones” (Ps. 68:36). And likewise it says, “I am sanctified by those close to Me” (Lev. 10:3) - [Zev. 115b]

your brother Israel: Why did he see fit to mention brotherhood here? However, he said to him, “We are brothers, sons of Abraham, to whom it was said, 'your descendants will be strangers [in a land which is not theirs’]” (Gen. 15:13). And both of us are responsible for fulfilling that obligation. — [Midrash Tanchuma Chukath 12, Num. Rabbah 19:15]

You know of all the hardship: Therefore, your father parted from our father, as it says, “He went to a land because of Jacob his brother” (Gen. 36:6), [that is] because of the debt that was imposed upon them, and he [Esau] cast it onto Jacob. — [Gen. Rabbah 82:13]

and He heard our voice: through the blessing that our father [Isaac] gave: “The voice is the voice of Jacob” (Gen. 27:22). When we cry out we are answered. — [Midrash Aggadah . See also Midrash Tanchuma Beshallach 9]

an angel: This refers to Moses. From here [we derive] that the prophets are called “angels,” and it says, “They mocked the angels of God” (II Chron. 36:16). - [Midrash Tanchuma Vayikra 1, Lev. Rabbah 1:1]

17Please let us pass through your land; we will not pass through fields or vineyards, nor will we drink well water. We will walk along the king's road, and we will turn neither to the right nor to the left until we have passed through your territory.'"

Please let us pass through your land: You have no right to contest the inheritance of the Land of Israel, since you did not pay the debt. Help us a little, and let us pass through your land. — [Midrash Tanchuma Chukath 12, Num. Rabbah 19:15]

nor will we drink well water: He should have said, “water from cisterns.” However, Moses said, “Though we have manna to eat and a well from which to drink, we will not drink from it, but we will buy food and drink from you, for your benefit.” From here [we learn] that even if a guest has his own provisions, he should buy from the shopkeeper [or householder] to benefit his host. — [Midrash Tanchuma Chukath 12, Num. Rabbah 19:15]

lest I go out towards you with the sword: You pride yourselves with the ‘voice’ your father bequeathed you, and declare, “We cried out to the Lord, and He heard our voice” (verse 16). But we will go out against you with what my father bequeathed me: “You shall live by the sword” (Gen. 27:40) - [Midrash Tanchuma Beshallach 9]

the entire congregation: All were perfect, ready to enter the Land. There was not among them even one of those upon whom the decree had been pronounced, for all those destined to die in the desert had already perished, and these were of those about whom it is written, “you… are all alive this day” (Deut. 4:4). - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukath 14, Num. Rabbah 19:16]

Mount Hor: A mountain atop a mountain, [appearing like] a small apple atop of big apple. Although the cloud went in front of them and leveled out mountains, three of them remained: Mount Sinai for [the giving of] the Torah, Mount Nebo for the burial of Moses,and Mount Hor, for the burial of Aaron. — [Midrash Tanchuma Chukath 14, Num. Rabbah 19:16]

on the border of the land of Edom: This teaches that because they associated themselves in a close relationship with the wicked Esau, a breach was made in their accomplishments, and they lost this righteous man. Similarly, the prophet said to Jehoshaphat, “When you joined up with Ahaziahu, God has breached your accomplishments” (II Chron. 20: 37). - [Midrash Tanchuma Chukath 14, Num. Rabbah 19:16]

his garments: He dressed him in the garments of kehunah gedolah and then stripped him of them, to give them to his son in his presence. He told him, “Enter the cave,” and he entered. He saw a ready made bed, and a lighted candle. He told him, “Get up onto the bed,” and he got up. “Stretch out your hands,” and he stretched them out. “Close your mouth,” and he closed it. “Shut your eyes,” and he shut them. At that moment Moses yearned for such a death. This is why it was said to him, “in the way Aaron your brother died” (Deut. 32:50)-a death that you desired. — [Tanchuma Buber p. 132, Sifrei Ha’azinu 49]

The whole congregation saw: When they saw Moses and Eleazar coming down, and Aaron did not come down, they said, “Where is Aaron?” He said to them, “He died.” They said,“Is it possible that the one who stood up against the angel and stopped the plague can be overpowered by the angel of death?” Whereupon Moses asked for mercy, and the ministering angels showed him to them, lying in the bed. They saw [him] and believed. — [Midrash Tanchuma Chukath 17, Num. Rabbah 19:20]

that [Aaron] had expired: Heb. כִּי גָוַע אַהִרֹן. I say that the one who renders דְּהָא מִית, because [Aaron] had died, is in error, unless he also renders, וַיִּרְאוּ as וְאִתְחֲזִיאוּ,“they [the congregation] were seen” [in the sense of exposed], for our Rabbis’ statement that the word Heb. כִּי is used here in the sense of ‘because’ applies only according to the Midrash [which states] that the clouds of glory departed, and as R. Abahu said,“Do not read וַיִּרְאוּ, they saw, but וַיֵּרָאוּ, they were seen [exposed].” According to this explanation, ‘because’ is appropriate, since it gives the reason for what precedes it: Why were they exposed? Because Aaron had died [and the clouds had departed]. But, according to the Targum’s rendering, וַחֲזוֹ כָּל כְּנִשְׁתָּא, and the whole congregation saw, [the rendering of the word כִּי as] ‘because’ is inapplicable, only it has the meaning of אֲשֶׁר, ‘that’ which is a usage of the word אִי, for we find that אִם [its Hebrew equivalent] can mean ‘that,’ as in,“so that (וְאִם) why should I not be short of breath?” (Job 21:4). And there are many other instances [of the word אִם] in this sense, [as in]“that (אִם) his days are limited” (ibid. 14:5).